Take Me Away From Darkness
by Monnie2
Summary: I'm not good at these. Its M&M AU and that about it...........
1. Chapter 1

Author: Monnie  
  
Rating: R  
  
Title: Take Me Away From Darkness (I might change it)  
  
Category: M&M AU  
  
Summary: I'm really bad a this so your gunna have to read it.  
  
Author's Note: Big thank you to Janey, Ella, Jordan, and all the people who gave me positive feedback to my other fic.'s, thanks so much! I hope you enjoy!  
  
Part 1  
  
He got down on one knee and took her hand into his. She had tears running down her cheeks. He sighed and took out a ring from his pocket.  
  
"Will you marry me?" He asked her.  
  
Even more tears went down her face. She couldn't do it. She just couldn't. The tears in her eye's slowed down as she looked at him. He didn't have tears in his eye's, his eye's were always the same. Sometimes they would change to anger or hate. But most of the time they were blank.  
  
She couldn't be with a man like that. She looked down at her arm, which had bruises on them. She really thought she was in love with this man. But she wasn't, she never loved him. The tears started again.  
  
"I can't marry you." Maria said. "I don't love you, and I know you don't love me." Maria finally got out of her mouth.  
  
His eye's filled with anger. He got up and pushed her hand away as if it was nothing to him. Maria got scared, she always got scared when his eye's got full of anger or hate. It always seemed to be because of her. She use to blame herself for his anger and hate.  
  
For the things he did. She use to cry at night wondering why he did such hateful things. But now she was going to be strong, and finally put the blame where it belonged. It belonged to him.  
  
"What?" He yelled. He grabbed her arms, which caused pain right away. "NO! You will marry me. We do love each other." He yelled at her. Maria shook her head.  
  
"NO! If you truly loved me you wouldn't put me through this pain. And you would let me walk away." Maria yelled back, finally letting the fire out that had been hidden for months. Yes, they've only been going out for 9 months. And yet he had seemed to cause more pain in her in those months, then her whole life put together.  
  
"Fine! You want to walk away and not be with me? Then go! I don't give a sh!t." He said pushing her to the ground. Maria got up and looked at his now hateful eye's. She took a deep breathe and walked away. Pray that she would never see him again, praying that the pain would go away.  
  
----- 


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2  
  
Maria walked into an apartment that always seemed to make her feel better. Not because she knew it as well as her own apartment, but because of the person who lived there. He use to be her boyfriend. She had to admit he was and still is the best boyfriend she's ever had.  
  
But then he came along, John came into her life and ruined everything. She thought John was great as first. But she was wrong about him. She was wrong about a lot of things. Michael tried to warn her about him, but she wouldn't listen and now she paid the price. Maria sighed at the thought of Michael and her together again.  
  
Michael did love her. He let her go but yet still kept her as a friend, and was there for her when she needed him. That was the greatest gift he could ever give her. Maria sighed again, she wished she could turn back time and change that one big mistake she made 9 months ago.  
  
She still loved Michael very much, she never stopped. It took a while for her to finally wake up and realized it. But he could never love her again. Not after what she did to him. Maria began to cry again. She use to be strong and barley ever cry. But John made her weak. John made her helpless.  
  
She hated him for what he did to her. The only ounce of strength she had in her was because of Michael. She thanked God for letting Michael stay in her life. She thanked God for giving her what she didn't deserve. Michael walked into his living-room and saw the only women he ever loved. The women he still loved with all his heart. He rushed to her side and held her in his arms.  
  
"Did you do it?" He asked her softly. Something John barely ever did. Maria just nodded her head. She couldn't seem to find her voice behind all the tears. "Then it will be okay now, Maria. He can't hurt you anymore." Michael told her while wiping her tears away.  
  
"I'm so lucky to have you." Maria told him looking into his caring eye's.  
  
"If anyone is lucky it's John. He's lucky I haven't gotten my hands on his jerkoff self." Michael told her, trying to get her to smile. Maria sighed and rolled her eye's.  
  
"Michael, you did get your hands on him. And you got your foot and your fist. Basically you kicked his ass." Maria told him. Michael smiled as he remembered when he kick the sh!t out of John for hitting Maria. He would love to do that again. Michael wiped some more tears on Maria's face.  
  
"Come on Maria. Don't cry. You can't cry over that bastard." Michael told her. Maria gave Michael a fake smile.  
  
"I'm not crying about him. I'm done crying about him, I hope. It's just ........... I was thinking about something and I guess it made me cry." Maria tried to explain to him without telling him what she was really thinking about. Michael sighed and looked into her eye's. That was the first thing he fell in love with. Her eye's, they were just so beautiful and easy to fall into. Michael shook his head.  
  
'Snap out of it. Maria and you aren't together anymore. She needs you as a friend now.' Michael told himself. But he couldn't help himself, he still loved her more than anything. All he wanted to do was kiss her and make love to her. Just like the first time. They were each other's first. They loved each other very much. But then that @sshole had to come up and mess everything up for them. 'Maybe someday we will find out way back together.' Michael told himself.  
  
"Hey are you hungry? I could.." Michael was cut off.  
  
"No, I'm really tired, I think I should head home." Maria told him. Even though she only lived in the apartment across from him.  
  
"Are you sure because......" Maria shook her head no.  
  
"I think I just want to go home and take a bath. I need some time alone to think." Maria told him as she got up and walked to the door. "Thanks Michael. For being here for me. I know you don't have to but it means a lot to me." With that Maria walked out of his apartment.  
  
---- 


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3  
  
Michael hated it when Maria walked away. Even though she was just going across the hall, to her apartment. He hated it. It always seem to remind him of the day that Maria and him ended their long and loving relationship. It reminded him of the day that he lost what he loved most in the world.  
  
Flashback  
  
"Why don't you trust me?" Maria asked Michael.  
  
"I do trust you. It's him I don't trust. God Maria! You don't know how he really is." Michael yelled at her. Maria walked closer to Michael.  
  
"You know if you can't trust me they we are we even together? A relationship is all about trust. If you can't get over this then.......... maybe we should just be friends." Maria told him trying not to cry, hoping that he wouldn't agree.  
  
"Fine! We're just friends now." Michael told her. Maria let a couple of tears fall and walked past Michael.  
  
"Okay, if that's how you want it. See you tomorrow, friend." Maria said and walked away from him.  
  
End Of Flashback  
  
Michael sighed and punched the couch at the memory he hated so much. Not a day goes by that he didn't wish that he would have stopped her.  
  
"I shouldn't have agreed. I should have fought to keep her. If I did she wouldn't have all this pain." Michael yelled at himself. Michael did that a lot. Blaming himself for Maria's pain. If he would have never let her go, she wouldn't have gone through all the pain that John gave her; all the bruises he gave her.  
  
But now that Maria got rid of John, maybe he could get Maria back. His Maria back. The Maria with fire in her. The Maria that use to cook for him and massage his back after a hard day at work. He missed that Maria so much.  
  
He hated seeing the Maria that was across the hall right now. She was weaker and her fire was hidden deep beneath all the tears that had fallen from her eye's. He sighed at himself, he had to talk to her. He had to tell her how he felt. He had to show Maria that there was someone that truly loved her.  
  
---  
  
Maria sighed to herself as she laid down deeper into the her warm bubble bath. She finally did it. She got the strength to brake up with John. She was proud of herself, she smiled. Her smile faded when she thought about Michael.  
  
"God why did I let him go? Why did I have to walk away?" Maria asked herself. "Because you were stupid." Maria yelled at herself.  
  
Her and Michael have been broken up for 9 months now. But she still loved him with all her heart. She only got with John in the beginning to make Michael jealous. But then she thought she did love John but she could never love a man like him. She didn't even know why she even though she loved him.  
  
He hurt her emotionally and physically. Maria added more vanilla scented bath bubbles to the water. Maria sighed and closed her eye's, she remember when Michael first told her she loved her. He really didn't have to, it was all in his eye's.  
  
'I should talk to him.' Maria thought. 'I should tell him how I feel.' Maria thought back at when they were together. She missed it when Michael would run his hands through her soft blonde hair and when he would whisper loving words in her ear when he thought she was asleep.  
  
"Maybe I should talk to him tomorrow." Maria told herself. "Or maybe I should get it out right away and talk to him after my bath." Maria said out loud.  
  
'No, he's probably sleeping already.' Maria looked over at the clock that read 9:30. 'Or not. He wouldn't be sleeping this early.' Maria got out the bathtub and grabbed a towel. She dried herself off and changed into a tank top and some shorts to sleep in.  
  
She started to brush her blonde hair when she heard a knock at the door. Maria sighed and walked to the door. She opened the door and was shocked to see the person standing in front of her.  
  
---- 


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4  
  
"What are you doing here?" Maria asked John, trying not to be scared. John pushed his way past Maria and into her apartment. "I'll ask again.. What are you doing here?" Maria said finding her anger deep inside of her.  
  
"I was thinking about what you said to me.... and." John paused. "I forgive you." Maria was shocked at what he just said to her.  
  
"What?" Maria asked frustrated.  
  
"I understand how your feeling and I forgive you." John told her with a smile.  
  
"Get out! I never want to see you again. I can't stand to be in the same room as you. Just get out!" Maria yelled praying that someone would hear her before John get really mad. But it was to late, Maria looked into John's eye's and was scared of what he would do next.  
  
John walked closer to Maria and slapped her hard across the face. Maria brought her hand to her not cut lip. The taste of blood filled Maria's mouth. Maria looked up at John, she wasn't angry anymore. She was scared, she wanted to run but her legs didn't seem to follow her brain.  
  
"You stupid b!tch." John said as he punched Maria on her cheek. Maria fell to the ground. Usually she would cry and beg for him to stop. But this time Maria was quiet, she wouldn't give John the satisfaction this time. She just let him kick her and call her nasty names, without saying or screaming a word.  
  
---  
  
An hour later Michael was sitting down wanting TV He was still thinking about Maria. He couldn't get his mind off her. Michael heard someone knock on the door. He knew it was Maria. She was the only one who would visit this late. Michael walked to the door and open it.  
  
"Oh my God! Maria, what happened?" Michael asked her as he picked her up and placed her on the couch.  
  
"I'm okay, I'm okay." Maria repeated. But the truth was she wasn't. She knew it and Michael knew it.  
  
"Who did this to ..." Michael stopped. He knew those bruises all to well. "John." It wasn't a question. Michael knew it was John getting his revenge on Maria. Michael got up and walked to the door.  
  
"Where are you going?" Maria asked him.  
  
"I'm going to give John someone his own size to beat up on." Michael told her.  
  
"Michael! Please stay with me. I don't want to be alone." Maria said in a begging voice. Michael's eye's soften he couldn't leave her. But he had to, he had to kick the sh!t out of John. He had to teach him a lesson.  
  
"Maria I have to. I can't let him or anyone do this to you." Michael told her and walked out the door to find John.  
  
"MICHAEL PLEASE!!" Maria yelled. But there was no hope. Michael had already left. And Maria knew when Michael had his mind on something he will do it. Maria got up and went to the bathroom to take a bath. She needed to relax, her body ached. She needed to be okay.  
  
-- 


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5  
  
After only an hour of looking for John Michael gave up. He couldn't get that feeling that he just left Maria out of his mind. He loved Maria with all his heart and he left her like that. But he had to find John and kill him for what he did. Michael sighed to himself and started to walk back to his apartment. Michael turned the corner and bumped into someone.  
  
"Sorry man." Michael said and looked up at the guy he bumped into. Michael grew with anger. It was John the guy he was looking for.  
  
"Well, if it isn't Michael. The guy that got between me and Maria." John said to Michael.  
  
"If anyone got between Maria it was you. I was with Maria and then you came." Michael shot back.  
  
"I guess you knew what a real man was when she saw him." John said with a smirk on his face.  
  
"A real man doesn't beat up a girl half his size. A real man gets someone his own size and then kicks some ass." Michael shot at John, ready to kick some ass of his own. John laughed and got closer to Michael.  
  
"You think you can take me?" He asked.  
  
"I did before." Michael told him. Out of no where John took his right hand and smashed it across Michael's jawbone. Michael punched John with his right and then left hand. John was on the ground holding his face. Michael wanted to rip him about right there. But he wanted to get back to Maria.  
  
Michael spat on John and ran back to his apartment, pray that she was still there. Michael ran into his apartment and didn't see Maria in the living- room.  
  
"Maria? Maria are you hear?" Michael yelled through his apartment. Maria didn't heard Michael from the bathroom. She was to busy thinking about Michael and her. Michael rushed to the bathroom and opened the door.  
  
Maria gasped when she heard the bathroom door open and Michael walk in. Michael rushed to Maria's side, not noticing she was naked underneath all those bubbles.  
  
"Maria are you okay?" Michael asked her.  
  
"Ya, I'm fine. Michael, what happened to you cheek?" Maria asked him. Michael didn't answer her right away. Michael looked down and finally notice Maria was in the bath naked.  
  
"I.... I found John. And he punched me... So I punched him." Michael told her while looking at Maria. Maria sighed.  
  
"Let me put some ice on it." Maria told him. Michael just nodded his head stared at Maria. Maria giggled. "Could you turn around or something so I can get up."  
  
"Oh, sorry." Michael said getting up and turning around. Michael heard the water splashing around as Maria got out of the bath and trying herself off. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself.  
  
"Could you get me something to wear?" Maria asked him. Michael nodded his head and ran out of the bathroom and into Maria's apartment. He looked around and saw broken glass on the floor. Michael walked to Maria's bedroom and got her some shorts and a tank top to sleep in. He ran back to the bathroom and gave her the clothes.  
  
"You didn't have to go to my apartment." Maria told him. Michael just shrugged his shoulders. Maria gave Michael a look, Michael smiled and turned around so Maria could change.  
  
"Okay. You can turn around now." Maria told him. Michael turned around and looked at Maria. "Here sit down." Maria told him. Michael did what he was told and watch as Maria grabbed a cloth and wet it with warm water.  
  
Maria sat down on her knee's in front of Michael and placed the wet cloth on Michael's cheek. Michael winced and looked at Maria's arm. It had a bruise in the shade of a hand on it. Michael gently grabbed Maria's arm.  
  
"Maria, why do you let him do this to you?" Michael asked her. Maria just looked down. "Well?"  
  
"I guess it's because I deserve it. For what I did to you."  
  
-- 


	6. Chapter 6

Part 6  
  
"What did you just say?" Michael asked her.  
  
"I said I deserve it." Maria repeated. Michael couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could she think that?  
  
"Why in the hell do you think that?" Michael asked her.  
  
"Because of what I did to you. I left you for the biggest asshole. I just always thought it was punishment for what I did." Maria told him looking down. Not wanting to see Michael's eye's. Michael gently grabbed Maria and made her look at him.  
  
"Maria don't ever say that again. Do you hear me? It isn't your fault, it isn't my fault. The only one to blame is John. He did this to you." Michael told her, Maria began to cry. She didn't want to but she did.  
  
"I want to believe you Michael. I wish I didn't feel this way, but I do. I just want to forget everything about it. But I can't. I CAN'T! I cry late at night knowing it's my fault. Knowing that I deserve what has happen to me." Maria told him.  
  
Michael's heart ache. He couldn't stand seeing Maria like this. He held Maria in his arms. She had so much pain in her and she that she deserved every last drop of it. Michael held Maria tighter. He knew she didn't deserve that. She deserve much better than that.  
  
She deserved to be treated like a queen. She deserved to be held at night and told that she was loved. She deserved to be happy. Michael lifted Maria up and walked to his bedroom. He placed Maria on the bed and looked into her eye's.  
  
"I think I should be the one helping you out." Michael told her.  
  
"You already have." Maria told him. Michael smiled while he got up and headed to the bathroom and got every cut cleaner and healer he could find. He headed back to his bedroom and sat in front of Maria. Michael put one of the cut cleaners on a cloth. Maria moved back.  
  
"Does that sting?" She asked him. Michael chuckled.  
  
"Just a little. Don't worry." He told her. Maria nodded her head and let Michael put it on the cut that was on her lip.  
  
"Ouch!! Oh my gosh! That stings. Michael, you said just a little." Maria yelled. Michael chuckled again. "Its not funny." Maria said as she playfully hit Michael on the shoulder.  
  
"Don't be such a baby. And stop moving." Michael told her while fixing the other cut's on her face.  
  
"Baby. I haven't heard you say that to me in a while." Maria told him. Michael looked at Maria and took her arm.  
  
"I use to call you babe, not baby." Michael told her. Maria smiled and nodded her head.  
  
"I remember."  
  
"So do I." He replied. After Michael fixed up Maria he let her sleep in his bed and he took the couch. He remembered when they would sleep together. He would wrap his arms around her and hold her tight. She once told him that was when she felt the most safe, in his arms.  
  
Michael walked to his bedroom to see if Maria had fallen asleep. Michael opened the door and saw his Maria sound asleep. She looked so peaceful when she was sleeping. When they were together, sometime he would spend hours just watching her sleep.  
  
Michael walked to the bed and knelt down next to Maria. He ran his hand over her smooth hair. He missed doing that to her. He missed it so much. Michael leaned forwards and kissed Maria's lips. He wanted to bring her into a passionate kiss so badly. He sighed and brushed a piece of hair away from her face.  
  
"Sweet dreams, babe. Sweet dreams."  
  
----  
  
Maria woke up from a nightmare. She looked over at the clock it was 3:00 in the morning. She sighed to herself and got off the bed and walked to the living-room. Maria saw Michael sleeping on the couch. She smiled and walked over to him.  
  
She sat down on her knee's and sighed. She thought back when Michael would sometimes fall asleep on the couch and she would have to wake him up. She laughed at how much of a 5 year old Michael would act sometimes. She looked his face, he was so peaceful.  
  
Maria thought about going back to the bedroom but she didn't want to be alone. She was afraid she would have another nightmare. Maria sighed to herself. She got up and got on the other side of the couch. She pulled some of the blankets on her. She looked over at Michael making sure he was still asleep she leaned over and gave him a kiss on his temple. Maria laid back down and closed her eye's. Within minutes she was back asleep.  
  
Michael was woken up by someone kicking him. He sat up and saw Maria sleeping on the other side of the couch. Michael smiled he had almost forgotten how she hated being alone sometimes. Michael got off the couch and picked Maria up, trying not to wake up her.  
  
He walked to his bedroom and laid her on the bed. He thought about going back to the couch but he couldn't. He got on his bed and laid next to Maria. He heard Maria moan. He moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"Shhhh, it's okay. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you." He whispered in her ear. Maria stopped moaning and moved closer to Michael. Michael sighed and pulled Maria as close as he could. He closed his eye's and fell asleep.  
  
-- 


	7. Chapter 7

Part 7  
  
Maria woke up never feeling better. She felt strong arm's around her. She opened her eye's and noticed that she wasn't in the living-room. She was in Michael's bedroom, she turned her body around and came face to face with Michael. She smiled, Michael must have moved her when she was sleeping. Maria placed her hand on Michael's cheek.  
  
"I love you." She whispered. She kissed him and went back to sleep.  
  
--  
  
Maria tried to get up but her body couldn't take it. Another blow to the face hit Maria and blood flew from her mouth. She wanted to scream for someone to help her. But her voice was gone. It was lost, along with all of her strength. She looked up at the person who was doing this to her.  
  
But she couldn't see through all the hate and darkness that surrounded him. Maria tried to crawl away from him but he held onto her leg and wouldn't let go. He flipped Maria over on her back and got on top of her. He placed her hands around her neck. Maria felt or life slipping away.  
  
"NO!" Maria screamed as she flew up from the bed. Michael woke up and pulled Maria into his arms.  
  
"It's okay Maria. It was just a dream. A dream." Michael whispered in her ear.  
  
"No, it's real." Maria told him as she got up and ran to the bathroom. Michael tried to follow her but she locked the door behind her. Michael knocked on the door.  
  
"Maria! Come on, please open the door?" Michael asked her.  
  
"Michael, just give me a minute." Maria told him behind the locked door. Michael sighed and walked to the living-room. Maria turned on the water and splashed cold water on her face.  
  
"It's okay. Just breathe." She told herself. Maria looked at her shaking hand and grabbed it. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her left cheek had a big bruise on it and her lip was cut. She hated looking at herself these days.  
  
She remember when covering up a pimple was the worst thing she had to worry about. And now covering up a big bruise was all she worried about. Maria turned towards the door and unlocked it. She walked into the living-room. Michael ran to Maria.  
  
"Maria are you okay?" He asked her. Maria just nodded her head and smiled.  
  
"Ya, I'm fine. No big deal. I just needed to splash some cold water on my face. No big deal. I'm fine." She told him. Michael shook his head.  
  
"No, your not fine. Your scared, your hurt." Michael said to her. Maria walked to the couch and sat down.  
  
"Michael, I'm fine. It's no big deal. You said yourself it's just a dream." Maria told him, trying to convince herself.  
  
"I know, its just that...." Michael paused. "How often do you have these dreams, Maria?" He asked her. Maria shook her head.  
  
"I don't know. Two or three times week." Maria told him. Michael glared at Maria. Maria sighed. "Okay, sometimes four. But that's only sometimes." Maria finally admitted.  
  
"Four times? Maria, you shouldn't be having nightmares that many times a week. I mean.." Michael was interrupted by Maria.  
  
"I'm sure they are going to go away, Michael. It's okay. You don't have to worry about me. It's not like I'm your girl..." Maria stopped herself. Michael sighed and looked into Maria's eye's.  
  
"Yes, I do have to worry about you. I care about you. I'd do anything for you." Michael told her. Maria smiled at him. "Maria, I just want things to be the way they use to be."  
  
"What do you mean?" Maria asked him.  
  
---- 


	8. Chapter 8

Part 8  
  
Michael stared at Maria for a while. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know if he should tell her how he felt, if he should tell her that he wanted it the way it was before John. When they would wake up in each other's arms. Not wanting to move. He wanted to tell her that he just wanted to make love to her the way they use to when both of them had a stressful day.  
  
"I'm just saying that, I want to see you happy again. Truly happy. Not I just found 5 dollars on the floor happy." Michael told her. Maria giggled at him. She wanted to tell him that he made her happy more than anything. But she stopped herself.  
  
"Michael, I want to be happy too. There are just things that aren't a part of my life anymore, and I don't know if I can get them back." Maria told him. Michael walked closer to Maria.  
  
"What things?" He asked placing his hand on her cheek. Maria closed her eye's and enjoyed the feeling of Michael's touch.  
  
"Just certain things." Maria told him leaning closer to him. Michael ran his other hand through Maria's soft hair, that he missed so much.  
  
"Maria, tell me about the dream." Michael told her.  
  
"Michael, it's okay. It's just a dream." Maria try to tell him. But Michael just shook his head.  
  
"No, Maria. If you let it out, maybe they will go away." Michael said. Maria sighed and nodded her head.  
  
"I just have dream, or nightmares, of John ...... killing ...... me." Maria finally let out. Michael couldn't believe what he was hearing. She said they were nothing. Killing the peson he loved the most is not just nothing.  
  
"And you think, this is okay?" Michael yelled a little bit.  
  
"No, I just think it's no big deal." Maria said softly.  
  
"MARIA, it is a big deal. A really big deal." Michael told her.  
  
"Michael, can we just not talk about this right now. Please." Maria begged him. Michael couldn't say no to her. Not when she gave her that face.  
  
Michael nodded his head and ran his finger along Maria's lawline. He couldn't stop touching her. He knew he shouldn't but he just couldn't help himself. With her standing right there in front of him.  
  
Maria smiled at Michael placed her hands on his shoulders and pulled him closer. Just like she use to when they were going out. Just like she use to when she was about to kiss him, and bring him into a world he couldn't never forget about.  
  
Michael leaned in closer so that their lips were almost touching. Michael couldn't help himself, he couldn't control himself any loner.  
  
Michael leaned in and captured her lips with his. He thought Maria would pull away but she didn't. She kissed him the way she use to. When they were both in love. Michael moaned wanting more of her. He pulled Maria closer to him, so he could feel more of her.  
  
Maria ran her hands through Michael's hair. She loved the feeling of his soft hair running between her fingers. Maria moaned as Michael began to suck on her neck. She moved her head to the side giving Michael more access to her neck. Michael then lifted Maria up and carried her to his bedroom.  
  
He placed Maria on the bed and moved on top of her. He found her lips again and brought her into a passionate kiss. Maria moaned when Michael pulled away.  
  
"Wait, I can't do this." Michael told her.  
  
---  
  
TBC....... 


	9. Chapter 9- THE END

Part 9  
  
Maria heart ached. She knew it, he didn't want her anymore. She was just damaged goods now. Maria held back the tears that were trying to come out. She let out a sigh of breathe.  
  
"What .... what do you mean?" She asked him.  
  
"I can't take you like this. Your hurt and I can't take advantage of that. I just can't." Michael told her. "I just love you too much to do that." Michael accidentally let out. Maria's eye's widen. Did you he jus say what I think he said?  
  
"Wait a minute. Wh .... what did you just say?" Maria asked Michael. Michael looked into Maria's eye's.  
  
'Oh crap. I didn't just say that out loud.' Michael thought to himself. Maria looked at Michael wanting to make sure she heard right. Michael sighed to himself. 'No use in hiding it now.' Michael told himself.  
  
"I said ... that I love you, Maria. I haven't stopped, ever! And I can't because you don't love me back. You stopped loving me a long time ago." Michael told her as he got off her and walked out of the room. Maria got off the bed and chanced off Michael. Michael was heading out the apartment.  
  
"Michael wait!" Maria yelled after him. Michael stopped but didn't turn around. He didn't want to see her face. Not after what he just told her. Not after he knew she was going to tell him she loved him, but just as a friend. Michael closed his eye's and wished he never had told her how he really felt.  
  
A part of him wished he hadn't stopped himself and just let him feel one last moment of happiness with Maria, let him feel what it was like to make love to Maria one last night. But he had to stop himself, he had to say something. Michael cursed at himself and rubbed his face.  
  
"I need to tell you something." Maria said to Michael's back.  
  
"Here it comes." Michael mumbled to himself.  
  
"Michael, could you turn around, please? I don't want to talk to your back." Maria asked him. Michael sighed and turned around, trying to avoid Maria's eye's. But it was no use, he found them and looked deep inside of her eye's.  
  
"Michael, when I got with John in the beginning....... I did it to make you jealous." Maria paused. "I still loved you so much. But we were both so angry, the point is. I thought I loved John." Michael cut Maria off.  
  
"Maria, I really don't want to hear this." Michael told her.  
  
"Just let me finish." Maria told him while walking getting closer towards him. "I thought I loved him, but the truth is I didn't. I didn't love him at all. I couldn't love a man like that. And it's not just because he hits me, even thought that is a BIG why, it's because of the way he is. I could never love him because...... I've always loved you." Maria finally let out.  
  
Michael was shocked at what Maria just said. He look deeper into her eye's, he knew what he saw, love. She did love him. She loved him with all her heart. Michael walked up to Maria and took her into his arms. He held her tight as if that was the last time he would ever hold her. Michael place small kisses all over her face.  
  
"Why did we ever stay apart for so long?" Michael asked her.  
  
"I don't know, but let's not do it again, please. I can't stand to be in this much pain anymore, Michael. I love you." She told him.  
  
"I love you too." Michael said before he brought her into a passionate kiss. Before they knew it, again they found themselves in Michael's bedroom with their almost all their clothes off. This is where they were happy. This is where they loved this most. With each other, and now no one would ever take that away from them. 


End file.
